I found it. And I LOVE it.
After church on Easter Sunday, we were looking for a good, veggie friendly brunch. Well, we found it and so much more! The Zenith is both a cafe and unique art/antique gallery. Anything on the walls, floor, ceiling, tables, etc is for sale. This place was weird, crowded, homey (somehow), jumbled, and I loved everything about it! Sunday brunch was great. Lots and lots of food, good service and LOTS to look at. Be warned, if you come with a small group (we just had 2) they will try to sit you at a table with other people to maximize the space. I thought it was kind of a fun idea, but I know it could make some other people super uncomfortable.
ZENITH EASTER BRUNCH MENU 4-8-2012
$10.00 INCLUDES ENTREE COFFEE OR TEA & BUFFET
Scrambled eggs with basil tomatoes & Romano cheese
Strawberry french toast with strawberry topping
Apple spice pancakes
Seitan reuben with optional Swiss cheese
Coconut curry wrap
Tofu pepper steak over rice
Portobello steak with mashed yams and mixed veggies
We went with one of the Strawberry french toasts and one seitan reubens:
The french toast was amazing. It almost tasted like a jelly filled doughnut. Even though it was slathered in strawberry topping, it wasn’t mushy and gelatinous. It had crispy edges and sweet, yet mildly savory, middle. The reuben was good. Nothing wildly special. I am normally much more of a savory person than sweet, but sweet won on the battle between these two entrees. Each entree came with a rice dish on the side that I thought was a bit our of place, especially on the french toast plate. I only ate a bite or two. It wasn’t bad, but there was much better stuff to be had on the salad bar.
The salad bar consisted of about a dozen different types of cold salads and veggies. My favs were fresh green beans in a light vinaigrette and broccoli in an Asian dressing. Both veggies were crispy and perfectly prepared. I wanted to just bring the whole bowl of broccoli back to my table. It was my favorite part of the meal, for sure.
They also had a good looking dessert bar with lots of different homemade treats- bunt cakes, cookies, etc, but we were so stuffed from the entrees and salad bar, that we passed this trip. The only thing that I would change is the quality of coffee. I can make better coffee at home, so I was disappointed that there wasn’t good, locally sourced coffee. I might go for tea next time instead. But for and all-inclusive $10 price tag- I guess there is no room to complain!
After brunch, we wandered around the gallery. They have everything from Mother Mary figurines to classic 1920′s shoes. Again, weird, but wildly entertaining. Oh, did I also forget to mention that one of the dudes working there was dressed up head-to-toe in a pink bunny outfit? And a Steelers shrine with a Catholic kneeling/prayer bench in front. PGH folks take this shit seriously!
All-in-all, what a fun dining experience. I am looking forward to going back for both the food and the entertainment value. Well done, Zenith. Well done.
Grade for The Zenith: B for the food & A for the experience
